Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Forgive this momentary deviation from the bathroom update (more coming on that after this next weekend)...

Last weekend, whilst buying supplies for the second bathroom at Home Depot, I spotted two light fixtures I'm now considering for our entryway. I had originally planned on trying to spruce up and refab the chandelier that was left for us by CrazyDecoratorFormerOwner, but I've since given up that plan, because I just don't like that chandelier enough to invest in it. That said, I'd love some input on these two choices we're considering:

Option 1 - a rectangular cube pendant in white glass:

Option 2 - a bowl pendant in clear glass:

Both are simple and clean, and the price is right... so, what do you think? Any preferences or strong opinions? Do you hate them both, or love them equally? Throw in your two cents -- didn't you know this is now an interactive home update adventure?!Thanks in advance!

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

We're plugging along on the second bathroom project. Dave spent Labor Day laboring over the paint job. We decided to go with a gray wall and white vanity/closet. The photos make the grey look bluer than it is. It's actually a pretty gray-gray. It's Benjamin Moore 2127-50, "Pike's Peak Gray." I like it. We like the colors, but we're not 100% sold on the overall look and whether we'll be able to pull off an updated "feel" without trashing the yellow tub/sink and ugly floor tile. What do you think? I'm currently investigating some other options for resurfacing these elements without having to actually replace them... more on that later. In the meantime, here's how it looks in there now:

Saturday, September 1, 2012

We're ba-ack! Yep, after a very long hiatus, we're back in action at the HSS. Updating and renovating a fixer is much more draining than HGTV leads one to believe. After hitting the ground running when we moved in two years ago (what?!) and having the speed bump of the flooded floors set us back and knock the wind out of our sails, we needed to take a break. As you know, we did minor updates (painting, adding some furniture and appliances, etc.), but we haven't done a big update since those floors (x2). So we were due. And now here we are. In the bathroom.

Yes, we're starting things off in the second bathroom. I'll remind you of what it looked like around move-in time... you'll recall this glorious wallpaper sample:

(first week in the HSS: scrubbing wallpaper glue off the bathroom walls)

(the true "before shot" of the bathroom -- from the online listing of our unit)

After today's efforts (all Dave's), here's where we stand:

(Jetsons-style faucet/Hot & Cold knobs)

(linen closet -- was also wallpapered)

(close-up of the tile)

(stunning gold-hued tin-like light fixture)

(ugly vanity that will be given a face-lift)

(Dave's safety footwear)

(I'm not even a little bit kidding about this: Dave's safety goggles)

We've decided to face-lift the existing bathroom, rather than gutting it and starting over. We're trying to salvage as much as we can, and with minimal investment bring this bathroom into the present. As such, we're looking to keep the existing tile, paint the vanity, and paint the walls. We'll replace the faucet and the lighting, and add new towel racks and hardware. Working with the existing tile and tub/sink will have to guide our color choices... a plan is coming together. Stay tuned for more updates soon!